Lip Man 1

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Oct 21, 2016 -> 08:48 PM) Owners usually don't build stadiums. They fleece governments for that which are then put on the tax payers. True and perhaps I worded that wrong. I meant that by the time a new ballpark is even up for discussion the Sox will have new ownership. Mark

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Oct 21, 2016 -> 06:14 PM) I keep seeing all this crap about the White Sox moving out of Chicago because of the Cubs recent success. First off, the last time I checked; the Cubs still haven't won the WS. I'm aware that they are the odds on favorites and will likely make it there this year, but until they hoist that trophy-- the Cubs are still the Cubs. With that said, it pisses me off that we have to cheer against them in the post season rather than cheer our Sox. It pisses me off that JR is afraid to make difficult but overdue necessary decisions for the better of the team. With that said, JR still owns the team (until his death), KW and Hahn have unlimited lives and will keep coming back regardless of what happens on the field. We are forced to wait around and see what direction this team goes this winter. With the fanbase openly disappointed and discouraged with them-- I do believe we will see a bunch of trades this winter with an emphasis on building a new and exciting core. Chris Sale will be the first to go. If KW and Hahn do it right, trade off their assets and bring in a plethora of young talent, the White Sox may be ready to go for it as early as 2019. Fans have said, they would be more than supportive of a rebuild and with the assets they have to sell-- it will be an accelerated one for sure. By 2019, will the Cubs still be good? Probably, but the White Sox will be younger and more hungry. Will JR still be around in 2033 when the stadium sweetheart lease ends? No. That means a new owner will take over and the White Sox will Continue to play at the G-spot. I have a feeling the next owner will be from Chicago and I'm hopeful that they will stay here. Here is to hoping the Cubs have minimal success until 2019 (meaning very few or zero WS championships) and to hoping KW and Hahn actually do this accelerated rebuild. We will see. By all accounts there will not be a total rebuild / tear down this off season. JR apparently does not want that and is not willing to wait five years for it to succeed (assuming it does). It will be "go for it" yet again and hoping to catch lighting in a bottle. But again, we'll see soon enough. Mark

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 21, 2016 -> 12:07 PM) You've all convinced me. Sox are a stepchild and no new stadium will be built unless the new owner fits the bill and you can forget about that. No fricking way. Not when they could move the team and get a free one in Vegas or anywhere. We really truly should stop talking about it. 35th and Shields neighborhood just needs to modernize and become a destination area for fun. That also will never happen. Fans are used to getting to the Cell and most fans have a way to get in and park and get out they are comfortable with. So we're stuck with it. Just enjoy what we've got. Greg: You must remember that when it comes to the city of Chicago and major decisions, politics is going to play a part. Always was...always will be. Mark

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Oct 21, 2016 -> 04:49 AM) Yup, anyone arguing that the Cubs aren't a direct competitor is fooling themselves. The Cubs going on a Blackhawks type run is very bad for us. Unfortunately this ownership group hasn't felt the Cubs were or are their competition since literally almost from the start. They certainly had their chances to become more viable and to pick up a bigger slice of their own home market over the last 35+ years but it didn't happen. In the long term things do not look good but remember conditions change...sooner or later new ownership is coming. Mark

QUOTE (Carpe Diem @ Oct 20, 2016 -> 01:43 PM) There is nothing wrong with "Guaranteed Rate Field" other than the location. The White Sox are blessed to play in a city that features one of the best skylines in the world and one of the biggest lakes in the world. WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT SCENERY?!?! There is absolutely no excuse the White Sox not having a SF Giants like ballpark on the water facing the city. You want to stop being a second class organization? SHOW SOME VISION! If a new park is ever built it will be by new ownership and just as the Mayor and city fought to build the new park at a location they chose in the late 80's (Mayor Washington said the ONLY location the city would support and that he would tell his people on the Stadium Authority Board to vote for was across the street from the original park) you can expect the city to place location demands once again. Mark

It's October 16, 2005...the Sox were in Anaheim about to beat the Angels for the fourth straight time and get themselves into the World Series for the first time since 1959. We've got the audio AND video of the final out as Jose Contreras made it four consecutive complete games by Sox starters. Announcer is Joe Buck. Courtesy: Fox Sports. http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/10/t...5-world-series/ Mark

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 17, 2016 -> 09:41 AM) As I said earlier, he may turn out to be good. By all accounts he's a sharp baseball guy. I just don't like the idea of anyone getting "their shot", as if they were owed something. I'd rather they had gotten someone with deep experience outside the organization, and I don't consider Well written post. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 17, 2016 -> 08:38 AM) This is a pretty fair stretch of the truth. One season after being hired from the outside, never having had anything to do with the White Sox before. I grant you in his case it is somewhat... but as you also said; it is also truth, he was in the Sox organization and is not a total outsider. Personally I think he'll do a much better job than Robin (who wouldn't) but as I stated at the time I would have felt more comfortable had the Sox waited and seen who else potentially may have been out there. I have a hard time thinking that another team was going to swoop in and grab him (paraphrasing Hahn's words) had the Sox waited a month. Again personally I want the Sox to start bringing in people totally and completely from outside the organization with totally new and fresh ideas and perspectives. It's been 20 years of "the family" and the results for the most part have not been good. Time for something radically different. Just my opinion. Mark

So let's recap shall we? Rick Renteria named manager (part of "the family") Capra and Hasler named big league coaches (part of "the family") Now Getz (with all of TWO YEARS experience) is named Director of Player Development (oh yes, he's a former player and part of "the family!") It's like the Sox have a total repulsion with bringing in ANYONE who hasn't had a connection with the organization. All you can do now is shake your head...the jokes write themselves. According to a lot of knowledgeable folks here this position is important, the Sox desperately need their farm system to start producing and they hire a guy with two years experience for it. OK then... Mark

My first reaction was the same as many, no real changes. OK...maybe there will be much needed changes with the players we'll see. I also got an interesting e-mail this afternoon while on the bus from a prominent media member in Chicago commenting on a certain aspect of the coaching staff: "Kenny's spies - Boston and Steverson stay" Take it for what it may be worth. Mark

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Oct 14, 2016 -> 02:25 PM) Don't worry, I won't, but thanks for checking in. No, I was simply reacting to Lip's post where he mentioned that Reinsdorf said as much. If it's untrue and he never claimed that trading Koosman was one of his "biggest mistakes as owner", that would be encouraging, given there are many far more franchise-crippling mistakes he's made as owner over the years that make that trade look like nothing at all in comparison. I'm in Flagstaff, Arizona after an all day bus ride for a game Saturday and I can assure you Thad, JR said that publicly. And I understand where he was coming from. Koosman made a HUGE impact on that team at that time. I've talked to guys like Kittle, Law, Paciorek, Fletcher, LaRussa and they have all said the same thing. Mark

Ron Kittle told me the team outright quit in the second half of 1984. Remember they had won seven straight and were in first place at the break. The big difference between 83 and 84 was Jerry Koosman. I had so many guys tell me off that club him not being there was a difference maker. Even JR admitted that was one of his biggest mistakes as owner, letting the Sox trade him for Ron Reed. Koosman was like a second pitching coach, kept players in line and acted as a reassuring voice in the clubhouse when things got tight. Tony LaRussa told me a big part of the reason Bull had a bad 84 and retired was because Kooz wasn't around. They were tight and would drive to the ballpark together. But back to the point, the 84 team had nothing to do with my comment that the 83 team was in my opinion much more talented than the 03 club as the poster originally suggested (i.e. the most talented in franchise history...) But carry on with whatever you are suggesting. Mark

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Oct 13, 2016 -> 11:22 AM) I get goosebumps watching/listening to this. Every single time. That was one of those "am I really seeing this" moments. Mark

It's October 12, 2005 and one of the strangest, most bizarre ways to end a baseball is ready to take place. Yes...it's the A.J. "dropped third strike" game. We've got the audio AND the video of that surreal moment. Announcers are Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Lou Piniella. Courtesy: Fox Sports. http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/10/t...lls-a-fast-one/ Mark

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Oct 13, 2016 -> 09:46 AM) Was the '03 team really that good? I didn't follow baseball then. They were good but in my opinion not great, certainly not the most talented team in Sox franchise history in my opinion. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 12, 2016 -> 05:58 PM) The 2006 team won 90 games. The 1984 team is one that absolutely bombed. Who said anything about the 1984 team? And the discussion centered around "on paper" the amount of talent on hand according to the original poster...not on actual results. To wit, here is Buehrle > Wood's original comment: "That team on paper has to be the best team in franchise history." Mark

Frankly no big loss. Mark

A little out of order so I apologize. It is October 7, 2005, the Sox are in Boston and Orlando Hernandez throws perhaps the single most significant inning in Sox post season history as he gets out of a bases loaded, no out jam to help preserve the Sox lead. They'd win the game, sweep the Red Sox in the A.L.D.S. and move on to face the Angels. We've got the audio AND video. Chris berman is the announcer. Courtesy: ESPN2. http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/10/t...es-masterpiece/ Mark

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 12, 2016 -> 06:32 AM) Then name one better. You simply can't come close finding a White Sox roster with the star power they had. Frank Thomas, Magglio Ordonez, Paul Konerko, Carlos Lee, Robbie Alomar, Carl Everett, Jose Valentin and Joe Crede in one lineup is insane. The bench was amazing too. Then you had Colon, Buehrle, Garland and Loaiza during his run for the Cy Young. The bullpen wasn't deep but you had Flash Gordon and Marte pitching in every other game while he was a top 3 reliever in the league. Everyone is aware of the 5th starter struggles but what probably hurt them equally as much was Konerko and Buehrle having really down years. If those two have normal years, the division probably looks a lot different. 2006 team just off the top of my head. I'd also include the 1917 team, the 1964 and 1983 clubs. Again that's off the top of my head without a serious examination. Mark

October 8, 1993 - With the Sox down two games to none in the A.L.C.S. Wilson Alvarez pitched a gem and beat the Blue Jays 6-1. The Sox scored five runs in the third inning which gave him some breathing room. The complete game victory was badly needed and gave Sox fans a reason to keep hoping. We've got the final out of the game as Robbie Alomar popped out. Announcer: Greg Gumbel. Courtesy: CBS Sports. http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/10/t...y-alvarezs-gem/ Mark

Destiny's children friends and neighbors. Oh by the way, this is at least the sixth time, the sixth time since September 1 the Giants took a lead into the 9th inning and lost the game. Their bullpen is worse than the Sox. If Washington wins Thursday I'd feel better about their chances if Strasburg and Ramos were healthy. Giants could have won game #1 if not for Posey's base running blunder and they should have won game #4 but to me the biggest mistake was running Shark out there to start game #2 at Wrigley. There was no way that stiff was going to do well under those circumstances. Mark

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 11, 2016 -> 06:09 PM) That team on paper has to be the best team in franchise history. How they only managed to win 86 games is pretty amazing. Not even close to being on paper the best team in franchise history. And the reason they won only 86 games was because these were the guys the Sox used that year in the back end of the rotation: Dan Wright, 15 games started, 1-7, 6.15 ERA Josh Stewart, 5 games started, 1-2, 5.96 ERA Mike Porzio, 3 games started, 1-1, 6.43 ERA Neal Cotts, 4 games started, 1-1, 8.10 ERA This was the season where Kenny Rogers was a free agent and the Sox were interested in him but when he asked for one million dollars to pitch for them, Kenny thought that was to much and said no. Rogers signed with the Twins, went 13-8, threw 195 innings and I think was the pitcher of record the night Minnesota clinched the division in Chicago. Mark

QUOTE (dpd9189 @ Oct 9, 2016 -> 10:14 PM) There will be many suitors for both guys, Sox should be able to get a nice haul for each guy. Unless of course the Sox "go for it" again and at this point I'd be very surprised if they didn't. JR is not willing to wait five years during a rebuild and last I looked he still owns the team. Mark

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Oct 9, 2016 -> 11:34 PM) I love that Cooper calls out the fans, it shows that he cares about the org. Business 101 says it's never wise to rip on the people paying the freight. Mark

QUOTE (Reddy @ Oct 8, 2016 -> 06:05 PM) Personally I don't think the Sox's problem is superstars. We've got enough of those. Our problem is that below the elite tier, we have NOTHING. Our regulars who aren't stars are practically sub-replacement-level. Where our money needs to be invested is not more older, expensive superstars, but in developing the damn farm, drafting well, and signing decent mid tier guys. I know that's what we've tried to do a lot of, but they keep failing. Is it our scouting dept? I dunno. But whatever it is it needs to get fixed, because we'll never win just by throwing more big money for another superstar, if it means another year of 5 replacement level bats in the lineup. I think you are pretty much on target here. The top seven or eight Sox guys can stack up to most other teams but what absolutely kills them is the crap they run out there at the other positions and when a guy goes down say a mediocre player like Austin Jackson they can't even replace that. The bench is brutal and they have no one on the farm it seems who can come up and help out when a mediocre player goes down...he's just replaced by another minor league mediocre player if that. Yet the Sox have supposedly been developing the farm for the last several years. It's not rock bottom bad anymore but it's still not ready to prdice talent in quantity. How in the hell long does it take and why can other teams seemingly do it overnight (relatively speaking) and the Sox keep spinning their wheels acting like the Keystone Kops? I'll wait for an answer from Buddy Bell for that one! LOL. Mark